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Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (''née'' Stevenson; 29 September 1810 – 12 November 1865), often referred to as Mrs Gaskell, was an English novelist, biographer and short story writer. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of Victorian society, including the very poor. Her work is of interest to
social historians Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives from ...
as well as readers of literature. Her first novel, ''
Mary Barton ''Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life'' is the first novel by English author Elizabeth Gaskell, published in 1848. The story is set in the English city of Manchester between 1839 and 1842, and deals with the difficulties faced by the Victor ...
'', was published in 1848. Gaskell's ''
The Life of Charlotte Brontë ''The Life of Charlotte Brontë'' is the posthumous biography of Charlotte Brontë by fellow novelist Elizabeth Gaskell. The first edition was published in 1857 by Smith, Elder & Co. A major source was the hundreds of letters sent by Brontë ...
'', published in 1857, was the first biography of
Charlotte Brontë Charlotte Brontë (, commonly ; 21 April 1816 – 31 March 1855) was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood and whose novels became classics of English literature. She enlisted i ...
. In this biography, she wrote only of the moral, sophisticated things in Brontë's life; the rest she omitted, deciding certain, more salacious aspects were better kept hidden. Among Gaskell's best known novels are '' Cranford'' (1851–53), ''
North and South North and South may refer to: Literature * ''North and South'' (Gaskell novel), an 1854 novel by Elizabeth Gaskell * ''North and South'' (trilogy), a series of novels by John Jakes (1982–1987) ** ''North and South'' (Jakes novel), first novel ...
'' (1854–55), and ''
Wives and Daughters ''Wives and Daughters, An Every-Day Story'' is a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, first published in the ''Cornhill Magazine'' as a serial from August 1864 to January 1866. It was partly written whilst Gaskell was staying with the salon hostess M ...
'' (1865), all having been adapted for television by the BBC.


Early life

Gaskell was born Elizabeth Cleghorn Stevenson on 29 September 1810 in Lindsey Row,
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
, London, at the house that is now 93
Cheyne Walk Cheyne Walk is an historic road in Chelsea, London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It runs parallel with the River Thames. Before the construction of Chelsea Embankment reduced the width of the Thames here, it fronted ...
. The doctor who delivered her was Dr Anthony Todd Thomson, and Thomson's sister Catherine later became Gaskell's stepmother. She was the youngest of eight children; only she and her brother John survived infancy. Her father,
William Stevenson William Stevenson may refer to: Government and politics * Sir William Stevenson (colonial administrator) (1805–1863), Governor of Mauritius * William E. Stevenson (1820–1883), American politician, Governor of West Virginia * William Ernest St ...
, a Unitarian from Berwick-upon-Tweed, was minister at
Failsworth Failsworth is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England, north-east of Manchester city centre and south-west of Oldham. The orbital M60 motorway skirts it to the east. The population at the 2011 census was ...
, Lancashire, but resigned his orders on conscientious grounds; he moved to London in 1806 with the intention of going to
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
after he was appointed private secretary to the
Earl of Lauderdale Earl of Lauderdale is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. The current holder of the title is Ian Maitland, 18th Earl of Lauderdale. The title was created in 1624 for John Maitland, 2nd Lord Maitland of Thirlestane, Berwickshire. The second Ea ...
, who was to become
Governor General of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 1 ...
. That position did not materialise, however, and instead, Stevenson was nominated Keeper of the Treasury Records. His wife, Elizabeth Holland, came from a family established in Lancashire and Cheshire that was connected with other prominent Unitarian families, including the
Wedgwood Wedgwood is an English fine china, porcelain and luxury accessories manufacturer that was founded on 1 May 1759 by the potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood and was first incorporated in 1895 as Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd. It was rapid ...
s, the Martineaus, the
Turners Turners (german: Turner) are members of German-American gymnastic clubs called Turnvereine. They promoted German culture, physical culture, and liberal politics. Turners, especially Francis Lieber, 1798–1872, were the leading sponsors of gy ...
and the Darwins. When she died 13 months after giving birth to her youngest daughter, she left a bewildered husband who saw no alternative but to send Elizabeth to live with her mother's sister, Hannah Lumb, in
Knutsford Knutsford () is a market town in the borough of Cheshire East, in Cheshire, England. Knutsford is south-west of Manchester, north-west of Macclesfield and 12.5 miles (20 km) south-east of Warrington. The population at the 2011 Census was ...
, Cheshire. Elizabeth's future while she was growing up was uncertain, as she had no personal wealth and no firm home, though she was a permanent guest at her aunt and grandparents' house. Her father remarried, to Catherine Thomson, in 1814. They had a son, William, in 1815, and a daughter, Catherine, in 1816. Although Elizabeth spent several years without seeing her father, to whom she was devoted, her older brother John often visited her in Knutsford. John was destined for the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
from an early age, like his grandfathers and uncles, but he did not obtain preferment into the Service and had to join the Merchant Navy with the
East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
's fleet. John went missing in 1827 during an expedition to India.


Character and influences

A beautiful young woman, Elizabeth was well-groomed, tidily dressed, kind, gentle, and considerate of others. Her temperament was calm and collected, joyous and innocent, she revelled in the simplicity of rural life. Much of Elizabeth's childhood was spent in Cheshire, where she lived with her aunt Hannah Lumb in Knutsford, the town she immortalized as '' Cranford''. They lived in a large red-brick house called The Heath (now Heathwaite). From 1821 to 1826 she attended a school in Warwickshire run by the Misses Byerley, first at Barford and from 1824 at Avonbank outside Stratford-on-Avon, where she received the traditional education in arts, the classics, decorum and propriety given to young ladies from relatively wealthy families at the time. Her aunts gave her the classics to read, and she was encouraged by her father in her studies and writing. Her brother John sent her modern books, and descriptions of his life at sea and his experiences abroad. After leaving school at the age of 16, Elizabeth travelled to London to spend time with her Holland cousins. She also spent some time in
Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
(with the Rev William Turner's family) and from there made the journey to
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
. Her stepmother's brother was the miniature artist
William John Thomson William John Thomson (1771–1845) was an American-born painter of silhouettes, portraits and miniatures who was active in Great Britain. Early life Thomson was born in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia, on 3 October 1771 to Scottish parents, ...
, who in 1832 painted a portrait of Elizabeth Gaskell in Manchester (see top right). A bust was sculpted by David Dunbar at the same time.


Married life and writing career

On 30 August 1832 Elizabeth married Unitarian minister
William Gaskell William Gaskell (24 July 1805 – 12 June 1884) was an English Unitarian minister, charity worker and pioneer in the education of the working class. The husband of novelist and biographer Elizabeth Gaskell, he was himself a writer and poet, and ...
, in Knutsford. They spent their honeymoon in
North Wales North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia N ...
, staying with her uncle, Samuel Holland, at Plas-yn-Penrhyn near
Porthmadog Porthmadog (; ), originally Portmadoc until 1974 and locally as "Port", is a Welsh coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd and the historic county of Caernarfonshire. It lies east of Criccieth, south-west of Blaenau Ff ...
. The Gaskells then settled in Manchester, where William was the minister at
Cross Street Unitarian Chapel Cross Street Chapel is a Unitarian church in central Manchester, England. It is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the umbrella organisation for British Unitarians. Its present minister is Cody Coyne. His ...
and longest-serving Chair of the
Portico Library The Portico Library, The Portico or Portico Library and Gallery on Mosley Street, Manchester, is an independent subscription library designed in the Greek Revival style by Thomas Harrison of Chester and built between 1802 and 1806. It is recor ...
. Manchester's industrial surroundings and books borrowed from the library influenced Elizabeth's writing in the industrial genre. Their first daughter was stillborn in 1833. Their other children were Marianne (1834), Margaret Emily, known as Meta (1837), Florence Elizabeth (1842), and Julia Bradford (1846). Marianne and Meta boarded at the private school conducted by Rachel Martineau, sister of Harriet, a close friend of Elizabeth. Florence married
Charles Crompton Charles Crompton Queen's Counsel, Q.C. (4 February 1833 – 25 June 1890) was an England, English barrister and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician. Life Crompton was born at St Pancras, London, the son of Sir Charles Crompton, a Judge of t ...
, a barrister and Liberal politician, in 1863. In March 1835 Gaskell began a diary documenting the development of her daughter Marianne: she explored parenthood, the values she placed on her role as a mother; her faith, and, later, relations between Marianne and her sister, Meta. In 1836 she co-authored with her husband a cycle of poems, ''Sketches among the Poor'', which was published in ''
Blackwood's Magazine ''Blackwood's Magazine'' was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the ''Edinburgh Monthly Magazine''. The first number appeared in April 1817 ...
'' in January 1837. In 1840
William Howitt William Howitt (18 December 1792 – 3 March 1879), was a prolific English writer on history and other subjects. Howitt Primary Community School in Heanor, Derbyshire, is named after him and his wife. Biography Howitt was born at Heanor, Derbysh ...
published ''Visits to Remarkable Places'' containing a contribution entitled ''Clopton Hall'' by "A Lady", the first work written and published solely by her. In April 1840 Howitt published ''The Rural Life of England'', which included a second work titled ''Notes on Cheshire Customs''. In July 1841 the Gaskells travelled to
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
and Germany. German literature came to have a strong influence on her short stories, the first of which she published in 1847 as ''Libbie Marsh's Three Eras'', in ''Howitt's Journal'', under the pseudonym "Cotton Mather Mills". But other influences including Adam Smith's ''Social Politics'' enabled a much wider understanding of the cultural milieu in which her works were set. Her second story printed under the pseudonym was ''The Sexton's Hero''. And she made her last use of it in 1848, with the publication of her story ''Christmas Storms and Sunshine''. For some 20 years beginning in 1843, the Gaskells took holidays at Silverdale on
Morecambe Bay Morecambe Bay is a large estuary in northwest England, just to the south of the Lake District National Park. It is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom, covering a total area of . In 1974, the second larges ...
, and in particular stayed at
Lindeth Tower Lindeth Tower is a Victorian architecture, Victorian folly in Silverdale, Lancashire, England. It is an embattled square tower of three storeys. It was built in 1842 by the Preston banker Hesketh Fleetwood. Elizabeth Gaskell stayed in the tower in ...
. Daughters Meta and Julia later built a house, "The Shieling", in Silverdale. A son, William, (1844–45), died in infancy, and this tragedy was the catalyst for Gaskell's first novel, ''
Mary Barton ''Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life'' is the first novel by English author Elizabeth Gaskell, published in 1848. The story is set in the English city of Manchester between 1839 and 1842, and deals with the difficulties faced by the Victor ...
''. It was ready for publication in October 1848, shortly before they made the move south. It was an enormous success, selling thousands of copies. Ritchie called it a "great and remarkable sensation." It was praised by
Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, Dum ...
and
Maria Edgeworth Maria Edgeworth (1 January 1768 – 22 May 1849) was a prolific Anglo-Irish novelist of adults' and children's literature. She was one of the first realist writers in children's literature and was a significant figure in the evolution of the n ...
. She brought the teeming slums of manufacturing in Manchester alive to readers as yet unacquainted with crowded narrow alleyways. Her obvious depth of feeling was evident, while her turn of phrase and description was described as the greatest since Jane Austen. In 1850 the Gaskells moved to a villa at
84 Plymouth Grove 84 Plymouth Grove, now known as Elizabeth Gaskell's House, is a writer's house museum in Manchester. The Grade II* listed neoclassical villa was the residence of William and Elizabeth Gaskell from 1850 till their deaths in 1884 and 1865 respect ...
.Uglow J. ''Elizabeth Gaskell: A Habit of Stories'' (Faber and Faber; 1993) () She took her cow with her. For exercise, she would happily walk three miles to help another person in distress. In Manchester, Elizabeth wrote her remaining literary works, while her husband held welfare committees and tutored the poor in his study. The Gaskells' social circle included writers, journalists, religious dissenters, and social reformers such as William and
Mary Howitt Mary Howitt (12 March 1799-30 January 1888) was an English poet, the author of the famous poem '' The Spider and the Fly''. She translated several tales by Hans Christian Andersen. Some of her works were written in conjunction with her husband, ...
and
Harriet Martineau Harriet Martineau (; 12 June 1802 – 27 June 1876) was an English social theorist often seen as the first female sociologist, focusing on race relations within much of her published material.Michael R. Hill (2002''Harriet Martineau: Theoretic ...
. Poets, patrons of literature and writers such as
Lord Houghton Lord Houghton or Baron Houghton may refer to: *Richard Monckton Milnes, 1st Baron Houghton Richard Monckton Milnes, 1st Baron Houghton, FRS (19 June 1809 – 11 August 1885) was an English poet, patron of literature and a politician who strong ...
,
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
and
John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and pol ...
visited Plymouth Grove, as did the American writers Harriet Beecher Stowe and
Charles Eliot Norton Charles Eliot Norton (November 16, 1827 – October 21, 1908) was an American author, social critic, and Harvard professor of art based in New England. He was a progressive social reformer and a liberal activist whom many of his contemporaries c ...
, while the conductor
Charles Hallé Sir Charles Hallé (born Karl Halle; 11 April 181925 October 1895) was an Anglo-German pianist and conductor, and founder of The Hallé orchestra in 1858. Life Hallé was born Karl Halle on 11 April 1819 in Hagen, Westphalia. After settling ...
, who lived close by, taught piano to one of their daughters. Elizabeth's friend
Charlotte Brontë Charlotte Brontë (, commonly ; 21 April 1816 – 31 March 1855) was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood and whose novels became classics of English literature. She enlisted i ...
stayed there three times, and on one occasion hid behind the drawing room curtains as she was too shy to meet the Gaskells' other visitors. In early 1850 Gaskell wrote to
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
asking for advice about assisting a girl named Pasley whom she had visited in prison. Pasley provided her with a model for the title character of ''
Ruth Ruth (or its variants) may refer to: Places France * Château de Ruthie, castle in the commune of Aussurucq in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France Switzerland * Ruth, a hamlet in Cologny United States * Ruth, Alabama * Ruth, Ar ...
'' in 1853. ''Lizzie Leigh'' was published in March and April 1850, in the first numbers of Dickens's journal '' Household Words'', in which many of her works were to be published, including '' Cranford'' and ''
North and South North and South may refer to: Literature * ''North and South'' (Gaskell novel), an 1854 novel by Elizabeth Gaskell * ''North and South'' (trilogy), a series of novels by John Jakes (1982–1987) ** ''North and South'' (Jakes novel), first novel ...
'', her novella ''
My Lady Ludlow ''My Lady Ludlow'' is a novel (over 77,000 words in the Project Gutenberg text) by Elizabeth Gaskell. It originally appeared in the magazine '' Household Words'' in 1858, and was republished in '' Round the Sofa'' in 1859, with framing passage ...
'', and short stories. In June 1855
Patrick Brontë Patrick Brontë (, commonly ; born Patrick Brunty; 17 March 1777 – 7 June 1861) was an Irish Anglican priest and author who spent most of his adult life in England. He was the father of the writers Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë, and of ...
asked Gaskell to write a biography of his daughter Charlotte, and ''The Life of Charlotte Brontë'' was published in 1857. This played a significant role in developing Gaskell's own literary career. In the biography, Gaskell chose to focus more on Brontë as a woman than as a writer of Romantic fiction. In 1859 Gaskell travelled to
Whitby Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...
to gather material for '' Sylvia's Lovers'', which was published in 1863. Her novella ''Cousin Phyllis'' was serialized in ''
The Cornhill Magazine ''The Cornhill Magazine'' (1860–1975) was a monthly Victorian magazine and literary journal named after the street address of the founding publisher Smith, Elder & Co. at 65 Cornhill in London.Laurel Brake and Marysa Demoor, ''Dictiona ...
'' from November 1863 to February 1864. The serialization of her last novel, ''Wives and Daughters'', began in August 1864 in ''The Cornhill''. She died of a heart attack in 1865, while visiting a house she had purchased in
Holybourne Holybourne is a village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 1.3 miles (2.2 km) northeast of the centre of Alton, Hampshire, Alton, is contiguous with it and shares its A31 road, A31 bypass. The nearest Alton railway s ...
, Hampshire. ''Wives and Daughters'' was published in book form in early 1866, first in the United States and then, ten days later, in Britain. Her grave is near the Brook Street Chapel, Knutsford.


Reputation and re-evaluation

Gaskell's reputation from her death to the 1950s was epitomized by
Lord David Cecil Lord Edward Christian David Gascoyne-Cecil, CH (9 April 1902 – 1 January 1986) was a British biographer, historian, and scholar. He held the style of "Lord" by courtesy, as a younger son of a marquess. Early life and studies David Cecil was ...
's assessment in ''Early Victorian Novelists'' (1934) that she was "all woman" and "makes a creditable effort to overcome her natural deficiencies but all in vain" (quoted in Stoneman, 1987, from Cecil, p. 235). A scathing unsigned
review A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a rating to indi ...
of ''North and South'' in '' The Leader'' accused Gaskell of making errors about Lancashire which a resident of Manchester would not make and said that a woman (or clergymen and women) could not "understand industrial problems", would "know too little about the cotton industry" and had no "right to add to the confusion by writing about it". Gaskell's novels, with the exception of ''Cranford'', gradually slipped into obscurity during the late 19th century; before 1950, she was dismissed as a minor author with good judgment and "feminine" sensibilities. Archie Stanton Whitfield wrote that her work was "like a nosegay of violets, honeysuckle, lavender, mignonette and sweet briar" in 1929. Cecil (1934) said that she lacked the "masculinity" necessary to properly deal with social problems (Chapman, 1999, pp. 39–40). However, the critical tide began to turn in Gaskell's favour when, in the 1950s and 1960s, socialist critics like
Kathleen Tillotson Kathleen Mary Tillotson CBE (3 April 1906 – 3 June 2001) was a British academic and literary critic, professor of English and distinguished Victorian scholar. Her various works on Elizabethan literature have accumulated significance in the lit ...
,
Arnold Kettle Arnold Charles Kettle (17 March 1916 – 24 December 1986)Turner, John R. (2004). 'Kettle, Arnold Charles (1916–1986)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', 23 September 2004 (online edition). Retrieved 30 December 2022. was a British Marx ...
and
Raymond Williams Raymond Henry Williams (31 August 1921 – 26 January 1988) was a Welsh socialist writer, academic, novelist and critic influential within the New Left and in wider culture. His writings on politics, culture, the media and literature contribu ...
re-evaluated the description of social and industrial problems in her novels (see Moore, 1999 for an elaboration), and—realizing that her vision went against the prevailing views of the time—saw it as preparing the way for vocal
feminist movement The feminist movement (also known as the women's movement, or feminism) refers to a series of social movements and political campaigns for radical and liberal reforms on women's issues created by the inequality between men and women. Such ...
s. In the early 21st century, with Gaskell's work "enlisted in contemporary negotiations of nationhood as well as gender and class identities", ''North and South'' – one of the first industrial novels describing the conflict between employers and workers – was recognized as depicting complex social conflicts and offering more satisfactory solutions through Margaret Hale: spokesperson for the author and Gaskell's most mature creation. In her introduction to ''The Cambridge Companion to Elizabeth Gaskell'' (2007), a collection of essays representing the current Gaskell scholarship, Jill L. Matus stresses the author's growing stature in Victorian literary studies and how her innovative, versatile storytelling addressed the rapid changes during her lifetime.


Literary style and themes

Gaskell's first novel, ''
Mary Barton ''Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life'' is the first novel by English author Elizabeth Gaskell, published in 1848. The story is set in the English city of Manchester between 1839 and 1842, and deals with the difficulties faced by the Victor ...
'', was published anonymously in 1848. The best-known of her remaining novels are '' Cranford'' (1853), ''
North and South North and South may refer to: Literature * ''North and South'' (Gaskell novel), an 1854 novel by Elizabeth Gaskell * ''North and South'' (trilogy), a series of novels by John Jakes (1982–1987) ** ''North and South'' (Jakes novel), first novel ...
'' (1854), and ''
Wives and Daughters ''Wives and Daughters, An Every-Day Story'' is a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, first published in the ''Cornhill Magazine'' as a serial from August 1864 to January 1866. It was partly written whilst Gaskell was staying with the salon hostess M ...
'' (1865). She became popular for her writing, especially her ghost stories, aided by
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
, who published her work in his magazine '' Household Words''. Her ghost stories are in the "
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
" vein, making them quite distinct from her "industrial" fiction. Even though her writing conforms to Victorian conventions, including the use of the name "Mrs. Gaskell", she usually framed her stories as critiques of contemporary attitudes. Her early works were highly influenced by the social analysis of
Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, Dum ...
and focused on factory work in the Midlands. She usually emphasized the role of women, with complex narratives and realistic female characters. Gaskell said she was influenced by the writings of Jane Austen. She then felt qualified to write a book on one of the greatest authors of all time, smoothing over patches in her life that were too rough for the sophisticated society woman. Her treatment of class continues to interest social historians as well as fiction lovers.


Themes

Unitarianism Unitarianism (from Latin ''unitas'' "unity, oneness", from ''unus'' "one") is a nontrinitarian branch of Christian theology. Most other branches of Christianity and the major Churches accept the doctrine of the Trinity which states that there i ...
urges comprehension and tolerance toward all religions and even though Gaskell tried to keep her own beliefs hidden, she felt strongly about these values which permeated her works; in ''North and South'', "Margaret the Churchwoman, her father the
Dissenter A dissenter (from the Latin ''dissentire'', "to disagree") is one who dissents (disagrees) in matters of opinion, belief, etc. Usage in Christianity Dissent from the Anglican church In the social and religious history of England and Wales, and ...
, Higgins the Infidel, knelt down together. It did them no harm."


Dialect usage

Gaskell's style is notable for putting local dialect words into the mouths of middle-class characters and the narrator. In ''North and South'' Margaret Hale suggests '' redding up'' (tidying) the Bouchers' house and even offers jokingly to teach her mother words such as '' knobstick'' (strike-breaker).Ingham, P. (1995). Introduction to the Penguin Classics edition of ''North and South''. In 1854 she defended her use of dialect to express otherwise inexpressible concepts in a letter to
Walter Savage Landor Walter Savage Landor (30 January 177517 September 1864) was an English writer, poet, and activist. His best known works were the prose ''Imaginary Conversations,'' and the poem "Rose Aylmer," but the critical acclaim he received from contempora ...
: She also used the dialect word "
nesh ''Nesh'' is an English language, English dialect adjective meaning 'unusually susceptible to cold weather' and there is no synonym for this use. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' defines the word as: "Soft in texture or consistency; yielding easily ...
" (soft), which goes back to
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th c ...
, in ''Mary Barton'': also in "North and South": and later in "The Manchester Marriage" (1858): and:


Publications

Source:


Novels

* ''
Mary Barton ''Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life'' is the first novel by English author Elizabeth Gaskell, published in 1848. The story is set in the English city of Manchester between 1839 and 1842, and deals with the difficulties faced by the Victor ...
'' (1848) * '' Cranford'' (1851–53) * ''
Ruth Ruth (or its variants) may refer to: Places France * Château de Ruthie, castle in the commune of Aussurucq in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France Switzerland * Ruth, a hamlet in Cologny United States * Ruth, Alabama * Ruth, Ar ...
'' (1853) * ''
North and South North and South may refer to: Literature * ''North and South'' (Gaskell novel), an 1854 novel by Elizabeth Gaskell * ''North and South'' (trilogy), a series of novels by John Jakes (1982–1987) ** ''North and South'' (Jakes novel), first novel ...
'' (1854–55) * ''
My Lady Ludlow ''My Lady Ludlow'' is a novel (over 77,000 words in the Project Gutenberg text) by Elizabeth Gaskell. It originally appeared in the magazine '' Household Words'' in 1858, and was republished in '' Round the Sofa'' in 1859, with framing passage ...
'' (1858) * '' A Dark Night's Work'' (1863) * '' Sylvia's Lovers'' (1863) * '' Wives and Daughters: An Everyday Story'' (1864–66)


Novellas and collections

* ''The Moorland Cottage'' (1850) * ''
Mr. Harrison's Confessions ''Mr. Harrison’s Confessions'' is an 1851 extended story by Elizabeth Gaskell about a doctor in a small English country town, benefitting from familiarity with the work of a general practitioner in her family. Episodes from the story and other ...
'' (1851) * ''The Old Nurse's Story'' (1852) * ''Lizzie Leigh'' (1855) * ''
Round the Sofa ''Round the Sofa'' is an 1859 2-volume collection consisting of a novel with a story preface and five short stories by Elizabeth Gaskell. The two volumes were published by Sampson Low, Son & Co. in London. The 1859 2-volume set is unillustrat ...
'' (1859) * '' Lois the Witch'' (1859; 1861) * ''
Cousin Phillis ''Cousin Phillis'' (1863–1864) is a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell. It was first published in four parts in ''The Cornhill Magazine'', though a fifth and sixth part were planned. The story is about 19-year-old Paul Manning, who moves to the countr ...
'' (1864) * ''The Grey Woman and Other Tales'' (1865)


Short stories

* "Libbie Marsh's Three Eras" (1847) * "The Sexton's Hero" (1847) * "Christmas Storms and Sunshine" (1848) * "Hand and Heart" (1849) * "Martha Preston" (1850) * "The Well of Pen-Morfa" (1850) * "The Heart of John Middleton" (1850) * "Disappearances" (1851) * "Bessy's Troubles at Home" (1852) * "The Old Nurse's Story" (1852) * "Cumberland Sheep-Shearers" (1853) * "Morton Hall" (1853) * "Traits and Stories of the Huguenots" (1853) * "My French Master" (1853) * "The Squire's Story" (1853) * "Company Manners" (1854) * "Half a Life-time Ago" (1855) * " The Poor Clare" (1856) * "The Doom of the Griffiths" (1858) * "An Incident at Niagara Falls" (1858) * "The Sin of a Father" (1858), later republished as "Right at Last" * "The Manchester Marriage" (1858) * " The Haunted House" (1859) * "The Ghost in the Garden Room" (1859), later "The Crooked Branch" * "The Half Brothers" (1859) * "Curious If True" (1860) * "The Grey Woman" (1861) * "Six weeks at Heppenheim" (1862) * "The Cage at Cranford" (1863) * "How the First Floor Went to Crowley Castle" (1863), republished as "Crowley Castle" * "A Parson's Holiday" (1865)


Non-fiction

* "Notes on Cheshire Customs" (1840) * ''An Accursed Race'' (1855) * ''
The Life of Charlotte Brontë ''The Life of Charlotte Brontë'' is the posthumous biography of Charlotte Brontë by fellow novelist Elizabeth Gaskell. The first edition was published in 1857 by Smith, Elder & Co. A major source was the hundreds of letters sent by Brontë ...
'' (1857) * "French Life" (1864) * "A Column of Gossip from Paris" (1865)


Poetry

* ''Sketches Among the Poor'' (with William Gaskell; 1837) * ''Temperance Rhymes'' (1839)


Legacy

The house on Plymouth Grove remained in the Gaskell family until 1913, after which it stood empty and fell into disrepair. The
University of Manchester , mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity , established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univ ...
acquired it in 1969 and in 2004 it was acquired by the Manchester Historic Buildings Trust, which then raised money to restore it. Exterior renovations were completed in 2011 and the house is now open to the public. On 25 September 2010, a memorial to Elizabeth Gaskell was dedicated in
Poets' Corner Poets' Corner is the name traditionally given to a section of the South Transept of Westminster Abbey in the City of Westminster, London because of the high number of poets, playwrights, and writers buried and commemorated there. The first poe ...
in
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the Unite ...
. It takes the form of a panel in the Hubbard memorial window, above the tomb of Geoffrey Chaucer. The panel was dedicated by her great-great-great-granddaughter Sarah Prince and a wreath was laid. Manchester City Council have created an award in Gaskell's name, given to recognize women's involvement in charitable work and improvement of lives. A bibliomemoir ''Mrs. Gaskell and me: Two Women, Two Love Stories, Two centuries Apart'', by Nell Stevens was published in 2018. Her novel ''
Wives and Daughters ''Wives and Daughters, An Every-Day Story'' is a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, first published in the ''Cornhill Magazine'' as a serial from August 1864 to January 1866. It was partly written whilst Gaskell was staying with the salon hostess M ...
'' aired on BBC television in 1999. In 2004, a television film miniseries aired on BBC television of her 1854 novel ''
North and South North and South may refer to: Literature * ''North and South'' (Gaskell novel), an 1854 novel by Elizabeth Gaskell * ''North and South'' (trilogy), a series of novels by John Jakes (1982–1987) ** ''North and South'' (Jakes novel), first novel ...
''. In 2007, her three part novella '' Cranford'' starring
Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...
aired on BBC television. The Gaskell Memorial Hall, Silverdale's
village hall A village hall is a public building in a village used for various things such as: United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building which contains at least one large room (plus kitchen and toilets), is owned by a local ...
, is so named because while funds were being raised for the building of the hall in 1928 a donor offered £50, or £100 if it was named thus: the conversation is recorded by novelist
Willie Riley William Riley (23 April 1866 – 4 June 1961) was an English novelist. He was born in Laisterdyke, Bradford. He wrote 39 books using the name W. Riley, mostly fiction and mostly published by Herbert Jenkins Ltd. After an education at Bradf ...
in his autobiography.


See also

*
Illegitimacy in fiction This is a list of fictional stories in which illegitimacy features as an important plot element. Passing mentions are omitted from this article. Many of these stories explore the social pain and exclusion felt by illegitimate "natural children" ...
*
Elizabeth Carter Elizabeth Carter (pen name Eliza; 16 December 1717 – 19 February 1806) was an English poet, classicist, writer, translator, linguist, and polymath. As one of the Bluestocking Circle that surrounded Elizabeth Montagu,Encyclopaedia BritannicRet ...


Notes


External links

;Digital collections * * * * * ;Physical collections *
Elizabeth Gaskell Manuscripts
at the
John Rylands Library The John Rylands Research Institute and Library is a Victorian era, late-Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, neo-Gothic building on Deansgate in Manchester, England. It is part of the University of Manchester. The library, which opened to t ...
, Manchester
Elizabeth Gaskell
at the British Library * Archival material at ;Other resources
The Gaskell SocietyThe Gaskell Society of Japan
(Japanese) * *
Elizabeth Gaskell's HouseBrook Street Unitarian Chapel and the Gaskell GraveA Hyper-Concordance to the Works of Elizabeth GaskellThe Visual Life of Elizabeth Gaskell
* *
Elizabeth Gaskell: A Cranford Walk Around Knutsford, Past and Present
(YouTube)
The Grave of Elizabeth Gaskell, Brook Street Chapel, Knutsford
(YouTube) {{DEFAULTSORT:Gaskell, Elizabeth 1810 births 1865 deaths English biographers English women novelists English short story writers English Unitarians People from Chelsea, London Victorian novelists Victorian women writers 19th-century English women writers 19th-century English novelists People from Knutsford Knutsford British women short story writers English people of Scottish descent 19th-century British short story writers Women biographers